The Way We Were

Friday, August 16, 2013

The South Center Schoolhouse is shown in this 1930 photograph at its original site, the intersection of Elm Drive, left, and South Main Street. Classes were discontinued at this schoolhouse in 1922, and eventually antiques auctioneer Wilton Lackaye moved it and placed it behind his Sandy Hook house, south of St John’s Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue. —From Newtown 1900 to 1960 by Dan Cruson

August 19, 1988

Even though the recent high temperatures have modified, people are still talking about the great heat wave of the summer of ’88. And the cool front came not a minute too soon as far as roofers, farmers and air conditioning repairmen are concerned. This summer there have been 30 days of 90-degree weather with the country gripped in a 44-day period of tropical air. Monday, August 14, was the hottest for that day and marked 11 consecutive days of 90-degree weather, a record.

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As the Augusts 31 date for opening of schools approaches town and school officials are not as confident as they once were that the Middle School will be ready for safe occupancy. This week there was talk of a delayed opening of the school. [Sam] DiMauro, general contractor for the project, said on August 17 that he thought the school’s regular classrooms would be ready, but that several special classrooms, such as the computer room, art room and wood shop will not be ready for some months.

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Ricky and Susan Erickson of Sandy Hook’s lakeside Cedarhurst community became the proud parents of a baby boy, Eric Henry, on August 8, 1988. The Ericksons believe Eric is the only Newtown baby to have been born on the special date (8-8-88).

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Lynn Monahan, Debbie Osborne and Cate Lux have been painting the country for the past week — on the playground of Sandy Hook School, that is. The three women, along with Nancy Taylor, Claudia Allen and Pam Kochuba, all PTA members, painted a map of the US, including Alaska and Hawaii, in their proper place and size, outside the kindergarten room doors.

August 23, 1963

Bernd Benz finds many similarities and some differences in the life on his family farm in Darmstadt — Arheilgen, Germany — and that on the American farms he has seen. He is here as an exchange student under the International Farm Youth Exchange program. Bernd spent several months on Kansas farms before coming to Connecticut, where he will stay in Newtown, Monroe, Bethel, and Easton. Mr and Mrs Richard Rockwell of Brushy Hill road are hosts for the next several weeks.

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A bee stung Lewis C. Holmes, 39, of Buttonball Drive, Newtown, while he was driving south on Route7 in Brookfield at 1:25 pm, Saturday. It caused a two-car accident and sent him and Michael Holmes, 13, to Danbury Hospital for treatment. As if the bee sting, cuts and bruises, and car wreckage were not enough, Mr Holmes must appear in court in respect to failure to yield one half of the highway.

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Joseph L. Bennitt of Hanover Road, who before his retirement worked for the State Highway Department for 36 years constructing roads, was honored at a testimonial dinner at Curtis House in Woodbury last Wednesday, August 14. More than 100 persons attended. Mr Bennitt, a civil engineer, is now in business as a registered land surveyor, with his office at his home on Hanover Road.

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Robert F. Hayes, who owns the Fairway Department Store on Main Street in Sandy Hook, is offering some fine prizes for the best pictures taken during Newtown’s Progress Festival on Labor Day weekend. The first prize will be a seven-transistor radio, and second prize will be a shockproof wristwatch. Any picture of Festival activities during the three Progress Days will be eligible.

August 19, 1938

Bert Carey is showing some choice gladioli blooms in his flower gardens in Sandy Hook on the Newtown road. Mr Carey has over 100 varieties, including many prize-winning species. Orders are being taken for fresh cut blooms and bulbs for next spring delivery.

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Fire thought to have been started by overheated green hay in the mows, completely destroyed the large dairy barn on the farm of Horace A. Smith in the Dodgingtown district, about 1:30 o’clock, Tuesday afternoon. The blaze was discovered by Mr Smith’s son, Donald, who, with the hired man, was alone on the place at the time. The flames had gained such great headway before the firemen arrived on the scene, however, that little could be done towards saving the barn or its contents. The barn was built about 10 years ago to replace another dairy barn that had been destroyed by fire. It was 85 feet long and 35 feet wide and had all modern dairy equipment, including milking machines and milk cooling outfit. Valuable farming tools, a silo and 50 tons of hay were also lost. The loss is estimated at $10,000.

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There is considerable local interest in the fact that the Book-of-the-Month Club has chosen for one of its September books, a new book called, “With Malice Toward Some.” The writer is Margaret Halsey, daughter of Mr and Mrs R.H.F. Halsey of Main Street.

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On Wednesday morning of this week early risers and radio listeners had the pleasure of hearing a salute to Newtown, during Phil Cook’s “Morning Almanac” hour. Bits of Newtown history were given, along with mention of the Fabric Fire Hose Company, it’s chief industrial development, and mentioning the town’s Colonial atmosphere. “Morning Almanac” is presented each morning, Monday through Friday, from 7 to 7:55 am, dst, over station WABC.

August 22, 1913

Selectman and Mrs Thomas F. Brew were given a serenade by the Sandy Hook band, Monday night. After a number of selections had been made Selectman Brew brought out refreshments and treated his callers. The band then marched to Hartwig & Tilson’s saloon, where they played selections and enjoyed refreshments. The band then marched up to Sandy Hook Center.

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The school for young ladies to be opened at the Castle will be known as “The Castle Ronald School” and will probably open about October 1. The corporation who are to manage it now have two successful schools in operation at Washington, D.C. Parties who are to be concerned in the management of the school are expected in town another week to confer with Miss Blake.

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W.C. Turner of Taunton, the expert gardener, has a prize cucumber growing in his garden. At present, it is 17 inches in length with a diameter of about three. He expects to have it fully grown by Danbury Fair time.

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Mr Curtis’ orchard on Curtis hill, now loaded with luscious and highly colored fruit, is now drawing visitors not only from Newtown, but from neighboring towns. The Mountain Rose peaches are now ready for market and as The Bee’s scribe called, Wednesday night, a wagon load of 75 baskets was ready to start for market. The way to reach the hill top is to motor directly to Sandy Hook Center, and then take the east road past the residence of Ex-Senator Smith P. Glover. The orchard is about a mile and a quarter from the Sandy Hook bridge.